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You are here: Home / Politics / Domestic Politics / Balloon Juice Bunker Standoff Update: We Have Twelve Additional Arrests

Balloon Juice Bunker Standoff Update: We Have Twelve Additional Arrests

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The US Attorney’s Office in Nevada has announced charges for fourteen additional individuals in the Bundy Ranch Standoff of 2014 in Bunkerville, Nevada (h/t HGTomato). Twelve of the fourteen were taken in to custody earlier today, two – Blaine Cooper and Brian D. Cavalier were arrested last month and are already in custody.

The twelve individuals who were arrested today are: Melvin D. Bundy, 41, of Round Mountain, Nev., David H. Bundy, 39, of Delta, Utah, Gerald A. DeLemus, 61, of Rochester, N.H., Eric J. Parker, 32, of Hailey, Idaho, O. Scott Drexler, 44, of Challis, Idaho, Richard R. Lovelien, 52, of Westville, Okla., Steven A. Stewart, 36, of Hailey, Idaho, Todd C. Engel, 48, of Boundary County, Idaho, Gregory P. Burleson, 52, of Phoenix, Ariz., Joseph D. O’Shaughnessy, 43, of Cottonwood, Ariz., and Micah L. McGuire, 31, and Jason D. Woods, 30, both of Chandler, Ariz.

You’ll notice on that list are two more of Cliven Bundy’s sons: Mel and David Bundy. The other big names include Eric J. Parker, seen below in an overwatch sniper’s position pointing his AR* pattern rifle at Federal law enforcement officers, and Jerry DeLemus.

EJP**

DeLemus is the retired Marine who has claimed to be the head of the militia/security at the Bundy Ranch Standoff. He is also a New Hampshire Tea Party activist and the co-chair of Veterans for Trump.

The charges, and their maximum penalties, are:

Conspiracy to Commit an Offense Against the United States – 5 years, $250,000 fine

Conspiracy to Impede and Injure a Federal Law Enforcement Officer – 6 years, $250,000 fine

Assault on a Federal Law Enforcement Officer – 20 years, $250,000 fine

Threatening a Federal Law Enforcement Officer – 10 years, $250,000 fine

Use and Carry of a Firearm in Relation to a Crime of Violence – 5 years minimum and consecutive

Obstruction of the Due Administration of Justice – 10 years, $250,000 fine

Interference with Interstate Commerce by Extortion – 20 years, $250,000 fine

Interstate Travel in Aid of Extortion – 20 years, $250,000 fine

* AR stands for Armalite, the company that first developed this style of semi-automatic rifle. It is unclear from this, or other pictures, if it is an AR 15 or an AR 10. The default chambering for the former is usually NATO 5.56/.223 Remington and for the latter is usually NATO 7.62/.308 Winchester.

** Image found at High Country News.

Reader Interactions

112Comments

  2. 2.

    trollhattan

    Distinctly recall on the day this photo was published asking, “How is this possibly legal?” Nice to know it is not.

    All in all, a great day for democracy.

  3. 3.

    The Fat Kate Middleton

    Yesss. Between this and this women of the Supreme Court, this has been a very good day.

  4. 4.

    JCT

    Ah yes, the wheels of justice (g_d) grind slow but fine. Real fine in this case — these guys likely thought they were home free.

    This is sweet.

  5. 5.

    Miss Bianca

    May I just say, “holy crap”?!

    I may have to start actually subscribing to High Country News, rather than getting it out of the library …their coverage on this and related Sagebrush Rebellion stories has been some of the best I’ve seen…

  6. 6.

    piratedan

    I hope that they do time and/or are bankrupted by legal fees and have to sell off their arsenals.

    I can be pissed off, I can demonstrate, I can bitch and moan but I don’t get to get away with holding a semi-automatic weapon on the bodies of the federals.

    You don’t like the laws, lobby to get them changed, you don’t get to simply give the finger to Uncle Sam.

  8. 8.

    The Fat Kate Middleton

    So trying to edit … told I can’t. Why? Anyway … would have edited to add: “Pumping fists for both.” Also too: THE women, not this.

  9. 9.

    Mnemosyne

    Someone in the thread below posted about a major gun store robbery in Texas with an estimated 50 weapons stolen. Hopefully unrelated.

  10. 10.

    Villago Delenda Est

    Convict on all counts. Sentence consecutively.

    Lock these disgusting maggots up for the rest of their utterly worthless lives.

  11. 11.

    gf120581

    Boy and I thought the spectacular implosion of the GOP was enough good news for today.

  12. 12.

    Isobel

    I’m surprised but delighted. It was about time the Justice Department got these guys. There was no way what was going on in that picture was legal.

  14. 14.

    gf120581

    @Isobel: And the news that Chuck Grassley is getting a legit Senate challenger.

    If Obama nominates Kelly, Chuck will be in for a season of hell.

  16. 16.

    Iowa Old Lady

    That picture shocked me when it was first published. The guy was without fear of consequences as he pointed a gun at federal agents. It was like an alternate country had opened up inside this one.

  18. 18.

    Adam L Silverman

    @piratedan: According to the NH newspapers I linked to, Susan DeLemus has stated that the FBI made a forced entry into their condo with a Federal equivalent of a SWAT team. This isn’t surprising as DeLemus has been posting pictures on his facebook page of himself, his brother, and several others with a fully automatic rifle (I think it was a .50 cal from the pictures and it seems to be lawfully owned under the NFA and Hughes Act).

  19. 19.

    SiubhanDuinne

    DeLemus is the retired Marine who has claimed to be the head of the militia/security at the Bundy Ranch Standoff. He is also a New Hampshire Tea Party activist and the co-chair of Veterans for Trump.

    It would be absolutely lovely if one of the Fox GOP debate moderators tonight were to ask Trump whether he might want to consider renouncing the support of Veterans for Trump.

    Never happen, of course. Because that whole Bundy thing is a Fox creation.

  21. 21.

    trollhattan

    @SarahT:
    Yes, NH Trump campaign co-chair and his wife is a NH assembly member. And crazier than a shithouse rat.
    ETA don’t know if any Bundys are Trump-curious, he seems rather anti-Mormon in lifestyle.

  22. 22.

    Adam L Silverman

    @gf120581: Its not an implosion, its a knuckling under and falling in line. Murdoch and Ailes have already started the process on their end. Everyone else will slowly begin to do so as well. The screaming, yelling, sturm und drang is all for appearances.

  25. 25.

    Archon

    I guess that people who said that the Feds should lay low, not force the issue and drop the hammer at another time are vindicated (I wasn’t one of them).

  26. 26.

    Adam L Silverman

    @SarahT: That’s Jerry DeLemus, the retired Marine (can’t find anywhere that it mentions his rank, dates of service, just always “retired Marine”), NH Tea Party activist, husband of NH State Legislator (and focus group plant) Susan DeLemus, and co-chair of Veterans for Trump.

  28. 28.

    trollhattan

    And in other gun news, Darwin.

    CONCRETE, Skagit County — A 43-year-old man has died after authorities say he accidentally shot himself in the face while taking selfies.

    The Skagit Valley Herald reports the man and his girlfriend were photographing themselves with the weapon on Sunday at a residence when he shot himself.

    Skagit County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Chief Chad Clark says the woman reported that she and the man had taken photos with the gun several times that day and that the man had loaded and unloaded bullets multiple times.

    Clark says a bullet apparently remained in the gun the final time he fired.

  29. 29.

    Adam L Silverman

    @SiubhanDuinne: And because Murdoch has come around to Trump and Ailes is getting there. Expect Rubio to be in the moderators cross hairs and, to a lesser extent, Cruz.

  32. 32.

    Keith G

    @Baud: I have a very close boyhood friend whom the feds picked up on suspicion of a short list of breaches of federal law. He was their guest for about 12 hours. They released him with the understanding that if they had other questions, they would be in touch.

    Very early one morning a few months later they showed up, not so much with questions but with an order that he leave with them. He could not make bail. Later he was found guilty of at least one of the charges (it seems) and he is in a federal prison somewhere.

    I found it interesting that the feds took their time, but when it was time to smash, they smashed.

  33. 33.

    Adam L Silverman

    @trollhattan: I’m still trying to figure this one out without a diagram. Unless he had the GoPro attached to the top of the barrel facing towards the muzzle, I just don’t understand how he shoots himself in the face. And this is also why we: 1) treat all guns as if they are always loaded, 2) never point the gun (flag) anything you are not willing/prepared to kill/destroy, 3) be sure of your target and what is behind it, and 4) keep your finger off the trigger until you have identified your target, are certain there is nothing else behind it you are willing/prepared to kill/destroy, and are ready to take your shot!

  34. 34.

    El Caganer

    I’ll admit I thought the Feds were going to let these people walk. I’m glad I was completely wrong.

  35. 35.

    LAO

    Adam, if the allegations are the same, than the 1st 924(c) count is based on brandishing. The minimum, if I remember correctly, is 7 years. The 2d charge is an additional consecutive sentence of 25 years.

  36. 36.

    Adam L Silverman

    @LAO: I copied and pasted the charges and maximum sentences directly from the US Attorney-Nevada’s press release, which is what is linked to for that section.

  38. 38.

    Adam L Silverman

    @LAO: Also, this indictment apparently includes superceeding language, which is also being added to Cliven Bundy’s indictment, that indicates that Cliven Bundy was the overall orchestrator and that all of those others charged actions were intended to benefit him. It seems they are going to drop the entire DOJ building on him.

  42. 42.

    Adam L Silverman

    @LAO: I wasn’t replying in that vein. I know you know much more about the nuts and bolts of this than I do, just letting you know where the info came from. Do not shoot the messenger, so to speak!

  44. 44.

    Steve in the ATL

    @trollhattan: I discovered High Country News through JJ McNab’s twitter feed, or possibly by accident when searching for High Times magazine. Either way, it’s been a great explainer for me about what makes these people tick.

    And I still contend that sovereign citizens are the stupidest people in the country, though the “brother of Medgar Evers” contingent is an up and coming contender.

  47. 47.

    Steve in the ATL

    @Gimlet:

    Perhaps alcohol was involved.

    Or possible the Hand of God. I’d expect that S/He is sick of these assholes, too.

  48. 48.

    Luthe

    @Adam L Silverman: Gun in one hand, phone in the other. Gun pointed at head/face, phone on “selfie” mode (the front side camera takes the picture). Slip of the finger and whoops!

  49. 49.

    humboldtblue

    @piratedan: On several different sites I have been reading the hysterical comments regarding the arrests and these folks just can’t get it through their heads that pointing guns at the biggest, baddest gang in the country — Federal law enforcement — is not a smart thing to do.

  51. 51.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Luthe: That’s even dumber than the GoPro mounted on the slide or barrel (if its a revolver) idea.

  52. 52.

    Nutella

    Excellent news, except for one thing. I think they are probably guilty of most of those charges but I worry that the piling on of so many makes it way easier to claim that they are martyrs for their “cause”.

  53. 53.

    The Fat Kate Middleton

    @gf120581: We can only hope. We love her in Cedar Rapids. You might want to Google her history. The assault on a running trail was something we all remember.

  55. 55.

    Mike in NC

    Q: What do these groups all have in common?

    Veterans for Trump
    Veterans for JEB!
    Veterans for Rmoney

    A: They all supported chickenhawk draft dodgers.

  56. 56.

    The Fat Kate Middleton

    It seems they are going to drop the entire DOJ building on him.

    I can’t tell you happy this makes me.

  57. 57.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Mike in NC: And in the case of DeLemus he thinks the Federal government is illegitimate, but is perfectly happy to pull his Federal retirement, which he did earn and is rightfully entitled to.

  61. 61.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Mary G: You’re welcome. It takes me back to my grad school and post-doc days when I was working on this stuff.

  65. 65.

    Steve in the ATL

    @Adam L Silverman: I’m working hard on the calibration right now but I haven’t been home that long and I try to not drink at work. Well, not every day at least.

  69. 69.

    Peale

    @Nutella: so? They and their supporters have persecution complexes up to the nose. They will consider themselves political prisoners even if they get 2 days community service.

  70. 70.

    James Franks

    These seem like pretty straight forward charges, I wonder why it took so long to bring them.

  71. 71.

    ? Martin

    @James Franks:

    These seem like pretty straight forward charges, I wonder why it took so long to bring them.

    Because as Obama has noted, the United States is strong and stable and can afford patience and generosity to further it’s goals. A Waco-style resolution would only have strengthened their movement. Patience allowed the government to act when there was minimal risk of escalation. There was no imminent risk to the public, so they acted to minimize harm to all including those they were arresting.

    A lot of communities would be much better served if local law enforcement took a similar attitude.

  73. 73.

    Steve in the ATL

    Parker, Dresler, Stewart, Lovelien, Engel, Burleson, McGuire, Woods all described in new #Bundy indictment as “gunman who threatened”

    This does make me feel better, though I know many lawyers at McGuire Woods and never expected the firm to get into this kind of trouble.

    NOTE: Ignore this attempted joke if you aren’t familiar with big law firms in the Mid-Atlantic/Southeast and just enjoy the fact that these nutcases are getting prosecuted and presumably the feds have used this time to gather a shitload of intel on this movement.

  75. 75.

    Mnemosyne

    @Nutella:

    IIRC, the militia types rarely get bent out of shape over people going to prison. It’s usually police shootings (like Ruby Ridge) that make them flip out. But I haven’t been following them much lately.

  77. 77.

    Roger Moore

    @Adam L Silverman:

    I’m still trying to figure this one out without a diagram.

    I don’t think he was using the gun as a selfie stick. He was posing with the gun in his hand while either he or his girlfriend was taking the selfie. He apparently pointed the gun in an unsafe direction and squeezed the trigger.

  78. 78.

    The Republic, Blah Blah Blah...

    There are a fair number of pretty sharp lawyers here…

    Can anybody tell me… do these clowns qualify for a RICO case?

    Just asking…

    Or has it already gone there?

  79. 79.

    LAO

    @The Republic, Blah Blah Blah…: asking for a friend? In my opinion, no because a RICO charge requires a criminal enterprise. The bundys are criminals but not an enterprise as defined by federal law. (Bear in mind, many judges have laughed at me during legal arguments)

  80. 80.

    Roger Moore

    @James Franks:

    These seem like pretty straight forward charges, I wonder why it took so long to bring them.

    I think they wanted to get the whole gang at once, which meant getting the ringleader before going after his lackeys. Since Cliven Bundy was holed up on his ranch and fairly well defended, they were holding off until they could arrest him while he was away. That finally happened with the wildlife refuge standoff, so no they’re rounding up the rest of the gang.

  81. 81.

    The Republic, Blah Blah Blah...

    @LAO: Does what happened w/ these dicks not qualify as an enterprise?

    It’s my understanding that they, as a group, conspired to try this crap…

    Maybe I’m wrong… and if they all go on trial one at a time, I’m fine w/ that…

    I thought Ammon made some comment at one point about ‘deep pocket backers’, which would indicate to me there was some serious premeditation going on here…

  82. 82.

    The Republic, Blah Blah Blah...

    @LAO: That’s what I thought too…

    I have to say, I’m impressed w/ the way the Feds handled this…

    Not get rattled… take their time… and then grab them all and slap their damned stupid Cheneys behind bars…

  83. 83.

    Bob In Portland

    Of the two most recent favorability polls Clinton is -21 (Quinniapac) and -15 (Economist/YouGov).

    Sanders is +15 (Quinniapac) and +9 (Economist/YouGov).

    But it means nothing, I tell you, nothing. In the real world everyone loves Hillary.

  86. 86.

    Adam L Silverman

    @The Republic, Blah Blah Blah…: He did. And there’s probably a group of forensic accountants going through everything trying to figure out 1) who those people are (provided Ammon wasn’t just blowing smoke) and 2) are the connections such that charges can be brought.

  91. 91.

    Adam L Silverman

    @LAO: Its either that or he’s referring to the American Lands Council. I do know there website was hosting his video calling for an uprising in Oregon for a while. And he and his family are tight with several of the state legislators that are mucky mucks in the organization.

  93. 93.

    nutella

    @LAO:

    My money is on blowing smoke

    I don’t think so. The description of the Bundy ranch in the earlier charging document didn’t sound like a major moneymaker. Something else must have provided Cliven and his numerous (15, I heard) children and grandchildren with enough income to afford pickup trucks, horses, guns, Macbooks. (It was the photo of Ammon with his Macbook at the refuge that clarified this for me.)

    And all those other unemployed people rushing over to the ranch to be bodyguards and to the refuge to be occupiers. Who or what is supporting them?

    I’m really looking forward to learning the details whenever the feds can release them.

  94. 94.

    Ken

    I’m old enough to remember when criminals sometimes videotaped themselves in the act, and everyone said”what kind of idiot does that”. Now apparently it’s expected.

  96. 96.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    @LAO: I agree with this. I’m perfectly happy with the 924(c) counts, which carry plenty of time.

    DOJ was no doubt able to do plenty of investigation during the apparent lull between events and arrests, and I recognize that it was hard to watch the long game play out. It seemed like nothing was being done and heavily armed people got away with very illegal – and disturbing – behavior. In my view, the long game was well played, and I believe defense counsel will have a steep uphill battle w/r/t keeping the sentences low. The defendants thoughtfully provided the government with ample evidence for conviction.

    Adam, as the resident Bundy junkie, my thanks for all your posts on the matter. Comically, my condition is somewhat, er, known – but appreciated and exploited! – in the local med school psychiatry department. All year, when I’d see docs in the halls after my monthly lectures, I’ve been asked for predictions about charges, including from Nevada. I’ve always counseled patience for the long game, and suggested that a very large federal building would be dropped before it was over (intended).

  98. 98.

    Adam L Silverman

    @a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q): Beginning to wonder if we needed to send out a search party or put your picture on a milk carton….

    And exactly what are you doing in the psych department? Are they that concerned with malpractice suits that you have to lecture every month?

  99. 99.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    @Adam L Silverman: Long story short(ish): Several years ago, after overhearing a conversation I had with a resident pal of mine, the director of gradual resident education asked me to present to 4th year psych residents about considerations to discuss the the attorney they needed to hire (emphasized!) to help with employment contracts. Then that evolved into additional lectures to them about stigma, support programs for patients and families, and psychiatry and the law. Then the director of medical (pre-graduate) education added me to the rotation roster and I talk to 3rd year med students about psychiatry and the law, as well as stigma – in their case mostly within the medical profession.

    When I was a local NAMI director, I’d recruited many of the docs there to present to my affiliate informational meetings and helped at conferences so as to attend without cost. Thus I got to be rather a known quantity. One of the docs, after seeing me successive weeks, said “we should just put you on the faculty.” I reminded him today that he is closely associated with the department chair – they co-direct a research division and a Mood Disorders Center, in addition to attending the same shul – and that I’m quite skilled with conference planning and execution.

    Mainly I enjoy saying I teach at the med school…

  101. 101.

    AnotherBruce

    @LAO:I still can’t fathom why Cliven flew to Portland. I would have understood it a bit before the arrests on the way to the John Day meeting. Maybe he thought that the police wouldn’t know he was on the plane. I’m glad he was (is) very stupid.

  102. 102.

    Adam L Silverman

    @AnotherBruce: He normally doesn’t fly commercial. His plan was to drive, but he was convinced to fly by Nevada State Assemblywoman Michelle Fiore. When he got to the airport and checked in, the TSA had a temporary hold on them. Temporary in that it appears they were asked to do so by the FBI to keep him from flying with Fiore. Instead of recognizing that something was clearly wrong, he simply went ahead with being booked onto a later flight unaccompanied by any allies. When that flight landed the FBI’s SWAT team was ready for him. The outstanding question here is whether Fiore is a dupe in all this or, as was the case with using her as a crisis hostage negotiator that the four holdouts at the Malheur Wildlife Refuge would trust, she’s been flipped. She has a huge, outstanding problem with the IRS on her taxes. It is possible, though I have no idea how probable (as in this is speculation), that she cut a deal. Regardless, if I was one of the overly developed sense of paranoia types in the various militia groups and the patriot and tea part movements, I’d be very concerned exactly what role she really played in getting Cliven Bundy arrested.

  105. 105.

    Adam L Silverman

    @LAO: You haven’t been reading my posts carefully. I’ll have to start assigning pop quizzes or something!

    Actually, and in all seriousness, it got lost in the shuffle of the hours long negotiation while driving the night Cliven Bundy was arrested and the next mornings negotiating while trying to keep the 27 year old holdout from killing himself at the refuge.

    She invited him to travel with her. She was clearly coached on how to do crisis/intervention negotiation. She has a large, outstanding tax problem. I don’t know that, and have not heard or read anywhere that, the Feds leveraged her tax issues to get her to do anything. This is pure speculation. Would it make sense? Sure. Would the Feds actually do it? I don’t know. But it is all just too coincidental.

    Here’s an article on her tax issues:
    http://lasvegassun.com/news/2014/dec/16/fiore-tax-problems-stem-ex-husband-and-theft-rogue/

    Here’s one on her closing her home health care business:
    http://lasvegassun.com/news/2015/nov/03/state-voiding-lawmaker-michele-fiores-health-care/

  106. 106.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    @LAO: It’s interesting indeed. I suspect she’s a true believer, but things can need to get real practical real quick, as you know, when people face federal problems.

  107. 107.

    Adam L Silverman

    @a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q): My real speculative question is whether they have enough on her in providing support to Cliven Bundy before, during, and after the standoff to threaten her with prosecution and are using that as leverage. She’s been a very vocal supporter, went out to the ranch in Bunkerville during the standoff on multiple occasions, things like that. Again, complete and utter speculation.

  108. 108.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    @Adam L Silverman: Interesting speculation, and could make sense as LAO detects by sniff. She was holster deep in the Bunkerville action, if I recall. And the feds love cooperation from participants, and are not in the least shy about pressuring for it.

  111. 111.

    elftx

    Adam, not sure if you will see this or not..here is hoping.

    kgw dot com has a two part interview w Ammon Bundy

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